Why Freddie Freeman plays for Canada in the World Baseball Classic

Being given the opportunity to represent your country playing the game you love is an opportunity any player would dream of, but for Freddie Freeman, the reason is heartfelt and sentimental.

Despite being a native of California, Freeman is representing Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic for the second time in his playing career— a decision he made to honor his parents, who were both born and raised in Canada. Freeman was just 10 years old when his mother passed away from skin cancer, and he has kept his mother’s impact and memory with him in every single game, both spiritually and physically.

“That’s the reason I play...,” said Freeman, “it’s to honor my mom... I wear sleeves every game. That is for my mom because she passed away of skin cancer... I wear a cross around my neck that unscrews and has her hair inside of it... pretty much everything I do is for my mom and this is what I feel is right.”

Freeman has received support from not only his fellow Dodgers teammates playing for Team U.S.A., but from the those playing across the World Baseball Classic en masse. Both Mookie Betts and Trea Turner have praised Freeman on his decision to honor his family’s legacy. Jesse Rogers of ESPN shares how both Turner and Betts felt about Freeman’s decision to forego playing for a country he’s lived the majority of his life in.

“‘We’d love to have him over here, but I know he’s [played for Canada] and he sticks with it,’ Turner said... Said Betts: ‘That describes what Freddy is all about. And if I get on first base, yeah, we’ll have some fun. Freddie and I have that bond, but that bond with a mom is special.’”

Links

• Chris Taylor is coming off a rather disappointing 2022 campaign after becoming an All-Star the year prior, and has now seen more unfavorable results through spring training. Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register has more on how the Dodgers have viewed Taylor’s struggles at the plate and how they are trying to improve his swing.
• With All-Star Tony Gonsolin’s status still up in the air, 2018 2nd-rounder Michael Grove has impressed so far in Spring Training and looks to secure a spot on the opening day roster. Matthew Moreno of Dodger Blue has more on how Dave Roberts views the young right-hander, and his acknowledgment of Grove’s progression throughout spring training.
• Coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons with the Red Sox, newly signed DH J.D. Martinez has posted just a .172 batting average (5-for-29) so far in spring training with the Dodgers. Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times has more on how the Dodgers have examined Martinez’s struggles and how they hope to utilize him this upcoming season.